Nail-assorting apparatus.



No. 707,I37. Patented Aug. I9, |902. B. F. MAYO. NAIL As'sonmeAPPARATUS.

l (Application led Oct. 28, 1898.)

2 lSheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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Patented Aug. |9,v|9o2. s. F. MAYO. Y NAIL ASSURTING APPARATUS.

(Application led Oct. 28, 1896.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

md Model.)

, NITED STATES lP-ATENTf OEEICE BENJAMIN F. MAYO, OF SALEM,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR,v BY MESNE E ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE UNITED SHOEMACHINERY COMPANY, A COR- PORATION oE NEw JERSEY.-

NAlL-,AssoRTlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 707,137', dated August19, 1902.

'Application iiled October 28. 1898. Serial No. 694,780. (No `model.) I

To a/ZZ whom it ma/yconcern:

Beit known that'I, BENJAMIN F. MAYo,of

Salem, county of Essex, State of Massachu setts, have invented anImprovement in Nail- Assorting Apparatus, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompa-.` 'nying drawings, is aspecification, like charm;-A

ters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for'its object to improve nail-asserting apparatuswhereby' thef nails may be assorted as' to heads and points whiletraveling on the raceway and the assorted nails arriving at the lowerend of the raceway with their heads all pointing in the same directionare received ou a device from which they may bedelivered either headorpoint first. Heretofore in this classl of` machine nailsv came to theend of the raceway Ywith theirheads and points arranged indiscriminatelyand said'nails slid into position upon a lifter which has been moved totake bodily with it the nails lying upon it and put them in othergrooves, asof a raceway-terminal, from which they descend to anasserting device or nail-controller, it being adapted t0' receiveimmediately all the nails leaving the raceway-terminal :head first, thenail-controller,-

however, arrestingthe nails coming to it from said terminal pointiirst,and thereafter by im parting an additional movement to the controller ora part operatively combined with it the point-first nails so temporarilyarrested are permitted to slide farther longitudinally sufficiently toremove their'heads or heavier ends from the raceway-'terminaL after.which I have so constructed the'raceway that the nails arriving at itslower end are so arranged that their heads all point in the samedirection, said nails assorted as to the direction of their heads comingupon'a device which is thereafter moved to deliver directly intosuitable pockets the nails received upon the said device. 'In myimproved raceway I arrange its grooved parts in dierent .levels andprovide at the discharge endof the "uppermost levela transverseshoulder, beyond which is a space `in which all 'the nails in thegrooves of the raceway which are arranged head rst drop by gravity, saidnails thereafter continuing to slide down the lower part of the race waywith.' their heads leading;` but all the nails which aredeposited' in"the grooves of the vraceway abovey said' shoulder point first onarriving at said ,shoulder'cross'the space and enter groovesofanail-point receiver, and said pointdirst `nails continue to travelVuntil their heads pass the shoulderreferred to, when -the :heavier headends of the. nails preponderating :immediately turn the said nails endIfor-end, letting themfdrop into the first, they continuing to travel inthe lower part of the raceway headifirst. In this way it willbe'noticed' that theraceway itself has lprovisions whereby it actsautomatically to `propertimes and ineither direction to discharge saidassorted nails head first or point first into pockets which lead to theposition from which'they are tobedriven.

In devices of this class vas ,heretofore constructed it has beencustomary to reciprocate the raceway constantlyl in' order to work thenails gradu'allydown to the delivery-point, and in order to insure theseparation of aseygrooves of the lower part of the raceway head v riesof nails at each operation ot' the device `which transfers thenails'from the raceway it has been customary todivide the raceway nearits lower end,'pla`cing its lower -portion higher than the' other part,and to employ alifter to elevate a series of/ nails 'froml one portionof the raceway to theother, thus sepexpense and 'necessitates mechanism`which islikely to get out ofi order and to become clogged with nailsand slivers. In my construction I have been able to dispense with thisdivision of the raceway and with the lifter, and I have done this by theuse of mechanism for stopping the reciprocations of the raceway at eachoperation of the transferring device, so that While the transferrer isoperating there isno reciprocation of the raceway, and consequentlythere is no movement of the nails toward the transferrer and noconfusion of each series of nails as they are being handled with thepreceding nails on the raceway.

I believe I am the first to arrange in a nailassorting mechanism meansfor intermittently stopping the reciprocations of the race- Way and sostopping the movement of the nails thereon when desired.

The device employed by me to receive and deliver the nails isrepresented as a table, which may be oscillated, preferably, in one orthe other direction at will.

Figure l, in side elevation and partially broken out, represents asufficient part of a nail-asserting apparatus with my improvements addedto enable my invention to be understood. Fig. 2 is a section in the linem, Fig. l. Fig. 2at is a detail of the clutch part Di detached from themachine. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. l.Fig. 4 is a view of the apparatus looking at the receiving or left-handend. (See Fig. 3.) Fig. 5 is a sectional detail in the line x', Fig. 3.Fig. 6 is a sectional detail in the line m2, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detailshowing the nail receiving and delivering device in section, togetherwith the end of the overflo W-pan.

The base-frame A, of any usual or suitable shape, has guideways A',overlapped by gibs A2, said guideways receiving the lower end B of areciprocating frame B. The frame B has connected to it within its sidesby screws B2 an overflow-pan B3, (see Fig. 4,) Said pan being providedWith a lug or ear B4, to which is jointed a link B5, having at one endan eccentric-strap, (see Fig. 1,) which embraces an eccentric B, fast ona rotating shaft B7, said shaft being run at a high speed, preferably aspeed of about nine hundred revolutions per minute, so that said frame Bis reciprocated very rapidly. The base-frame contains bearings for saidshaft and also for a driving-shaft C in line with it, the shaft C havinga fast pulley C', Which receives a belt, so that 'said shaft is rotatedcontinuously. The shaft C has a Worm C2, which engages a worm-toothedgear C3, fast on a shaft D, sustained in bearings D D2, carried by thebase A. The shaft D has a bevel-pinion D3, which engages a bevel-pinionD4, fast on a shaft DX, said shafts C and D each having a suitable diskC4 D5, each concaved at its face and forming part of a friction-clutch,the cooperating parts C5 D6 of said clutches being fast, respectively,on the shafts B7 and D7. Both the disks C4 and D5 rotate continuously;but only one of said shafts B7 and D7 is rotated at the same time, andwhich shaft is to be rotated is determined by a clutch-lever E, to bedescribed, it being 'pivoted at E and being normally retained byasuitable spring E2in such position that the clutch C4 O5 is inengagement and the clutch D5 DG open, the shaft B7 being rotated. Eachclutch part C5 and D6 has its periphery cut (see Fig. 2, Where D6 isshown detached) to present radial shoulders, as 2 and 3, and one side ofeach of said parts is cut away near said shoulders to leave inclinedsurfaces, (see Fig. 3,) said surfaces being shown as oppositelyinclined, against which may act the inclined ends of said clutchlever,said inclined ends working in advance of the action of the shoulder, thelatter effecting a full stop of the shaft when engaged by the shoulderedend of the clutch-lever. The two shafts B7 and D7 are free to slide intheir bearings, and when the clutches are closed they slide in onedirection and in the opposite direction when they are opened. Theseshafts have each a spring, as ct, acted upon bya plunger a, saidplungers being held in adjusted position by suitable adjusting-screwsd2, shown as held in a bar as. The sliding frame receives and supports araceway, represented as composed of a receiving-section F and asecondary section F', the section F being represented as located in ahigher plane than the section F. The receiving-section has at its u pperextremity several Wide groovesf, Which have communicating with themnarrower grooves f3, deeper cnt, the ends of the grooves fs terminatingat the shoulder f1@ at one end of the receiving-section, said shoulderbeing extended across the raceway, so as to leave a space b at the endof said shoulder. The lower or secondary section F' has grooves b',Which are made in continuation of the grooves f3, and all nails thatenter the groovesfand get into the grooves f5 continue to travel alongin the grooves b; but the nails which come into the grooves fwhen thenails are applied in bulk to the part F of the raceway and do not getinto the grooves f3 drop through the spaces f into the overflow-pan andrun back to the source of supply for the nails.

The nails get into the grooves f3 heads and IOO IIO

receiver b, said nail-point receiver being adpoints of which enter thegrooves of the nailpoint receiver iually travel far enou'gh so thatAtheir heads leave 'the shoulder flo and immediately thereafter, the saidheads preponderating, drop down into the space b, and the saidnails arecompletely overturned or reversed end for end, they entering the groovesb and thereafter traveling head firsttherein.

`The ends of the grooves f 3 are widened and the breast of the shoulderf1? is somewhat curved, and the grooves b' are made in the Vbreast ofsaid shoulder substantially up to and to join the grooves f3, so thatthere is little, if any, liability of the nails when they drop into thespace b getting ont of position it is not necessary to accelerate theirmove-v ment, as is the case when the nails are on the lower or secondarysection F', and, secondly,

ing the receiving-section F at the shoulder flo' it is important to havethe lower section at a greater inclination, because as the nails arearranged in single lines in narrow grooves it is necessary to acceleratetheir movement in order to insure a sufficient supply at the deliveryend of the raceway. It would not be practicable to have thereceiving-section F of the raceway atthe same inclination as thesecondary section F', because there wouldbe danger that the momentum ofthe nails leavwould Acarry all the nails, particularly the head-firstnails, across the space b and upon or entirely over the nail-pointreceiver b4, so that the proper delivery of nails tothe secondarysection Ff and the' arranging of the nailswith their heads first wouldbe prevented. i l v Near the lower end` of the raceway I have located adevice for receiving and delivering the nails. I have lettered the saiddevice G, and it has a series of lnarrow, grooves b2, in which may enterthe nails coming fromthe grooves b' of the raceway, the Vheads of thenailsentering the groove b2 ymeeting a suitable stop H, which may beadjusted relatively to the :said device by means 'of set-screws H.

This device has a seriesof wide grooves m between the narrow grooves b2,so that any nails which may get into 'the wider grooves mayslidetherefrom while the device is stationary in-to the overilow-panBs. Thisdevic'e may be designated well by the term table,f7 it having at its endsuitable journalsupports g, vthe said supports' being preferably xed toand extended from the table,'the journals taking their bearings in thesides.

The device for receiving and discharging the'nails has connected to oneof lits journals g a'lever g', each endof which is adapted, as

jby ahole g2, to receive sfcrew'g3, ,extended "through `one end'of alink g4, the opposite end.V

.of said link being ,connected with a lever gi having its fulcrum at gs,said lever having, 1

as shown, a connected spring g, which actsnormally to keep saidleveragainst a'stop g3.'

The lower end of the lever g5 stands normally ,Jj

in th'e path of movement of a cam gi, and at such time the clutch-leverlE is' inzengagement with the clutch partD6 andthetable or device Gr toreceive and discharge the nails n I. l

is held at rest. The clutch parts Dand'D6 may, however, be released bymovingl the clutch-lever through a suitable rod h whenever it is desiredto deliver the series of nails, then lying on ythe tableg'and when theclutch parts are so connected the cam gf will engagev lever g5 andthrough link g4 will turn table G to deliver the nails. When the linkgi4 is Soil?.

connected to the lower end of the lever g', the i cam g5 will act to tipthe table over toward the right and will deliver the nails having theirheads then in contact with the stop H head first into thepoekets H2,there beingone such pocket for each nail,jall said pockets havinginpractice 'connected to them vsuitable guideways, tubes,`or devices tolead said nails to the point where they are to be driven. The series ofpockets is held in place by suitable set-screws H4, one of which isshown in.

Fig. l. The points of the-nails depositedon the table lie substantiallyin and cross thespace h3. To tip said table so'that all the said nailslying thereon with their headsv leading may be delivered point firstinto. the pockets H2, I adj ustthe series of pockets into thedotted-line position, Fig. 1, and change.

the screw g3 into` the hole. at the upper end of the lever g', andthereafter the movement of the lever g5 willtinsure that the table tipsover- IOO toward the left, letting thenails thereonslide Y 0E pointyfirst through the space 4hSAV into the pockets in their changedpositions.

In practice the clutch,. composed of the ilo` arts C4 C5, is closed formost of Ythe time, 1 i p Vandthe plate Fis reciprocated to keep all thegrooves'referred tolled with nails; but 4wheneverta series of nails onthe table Glis to be discharged therefrom then the `clutch- 'lever isoperated to closethe clutch D5D to start the shaft D7 to thereby tip orrock the. table, as described,` the reciprocations ofthe plate F beingarrested bydisengagement of clutch parts C4 C5 throughlever E, ashereinbefore explained, while the table 'is being, j

-tipped, so that the nails on said plateand'the plate F will remain atrest, vandv there is no' xchance for the nailsl on the plate above thetableLto escape from said plate.

`It will be noticed that .the stop g? arrests the lever g5, so thatitsedge next the camzgg' ,stands at a short distance from saidcam, so

that as the frame Bl is reciprocated theisaid' "lever, will not bump'againstfsaid cam, which'fl 'might keep the tableG in `motionsomewhatabout its trunnions.-

This invention is not limitedto the part ticular shape of the grooves inthe raceway nor to the particular number of grooves, as there may bemore or less, according to the number of nails it is desired tosimultaneously feed at one operation into position to be driven. Itshould further be understood that while in the mechanism which is hereinshown and described all the features of my invention have been embodiedit would nevertheless be possible to secure many of the advantages of myinvention in machines embodying only a portion of the invention and notall of its features, and such machines would be clearly within the scopeof my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. A grooved raceway having provision to automatically assort the nailsentering the upper runs of its grooves head and point firstindiscriminately, and put said nails into the lower part-s of saidgrooves all head first, combined with a device to receive the endmostnails, a stop to position said nails on said device, a series of pocketsto receive and conduct the assorted nails, and means to move said deviceto deliver the nails coming upon it directly from the raceway into saidpockets, substantially as described.

2. A raceway presenting a series of continuous grooves in two levelsinclined in the same direction and having a transverse groove betweensaid levels to form a series of shoulders, the upper level receivingnails with their heads and points arranged indiscriminately; and anail-point receiver crossing the grooves of said lower level wherebythose nails which are head first continue to travel forwardlyinto thegrooves of the lower level of the raceway, the nails with their pointsleading in the grooves of the higher level crossing said transversegroove until their heads leave said higher level, when said nails are reversed and thereafter continue to travel forwardly in the grooves of thelower level of the raceway.

3. In a nail-assorting mechanism, a raceway to receive and guide nails,means to reciprocate said raceway, a device to transfer nails from saidraceway, mechanism for actuating said device to transfer nails, andmeans for stopping the reciprocations of the raceway while saidtransferring device is being operated.

4. In a nail-assorting apparatus the following ,instrumentalitiem viz: araceway, a device located near the lower end thereof to receive thenails from said raceway, an independent stop to position the nails onsaid device, and means to tip the said device to effect the discharge ofthe nails therefrom, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a raceway to receive,conduct, and deliver nails head first, a series of pockets to receivesaid nails, a grooved table located intermediate roms? the delivery endof said raceway andthe said pockets `to receive all said nails headfirst, and a stop to position the nails thereon, combined With means totip said table to effect the discharge of its nails into said pockets,substantially as described.

6. A raceway adapted to receive and guide nails, a series of pockets inwhich the assorted nails are finally to be discharged, combined with adevice located intermediate the said raceway and the said pockets toreceive said nails, an independent stop to position said nails on saiddevice, and means to actuate said device to deliver the nails into saidpockets either head first or point first, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a raceway to receive andconduct nails, aseries of adjustable pockets, and a device locatedbetween said raceway and adjustable pockets to receive the nails fromsaid raceway, and means adapted to be changed as to position to tip saiddevice in either direction when it is desired to deliver the nailstherefrom either head first or point first, substan-` tially asdescribed.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a stop to receive against itthe head of a nail after the same has crossed a grooved table, a groovedtable having journals, a cam, and means intermediate said cam and one ofsaid journals to oscillate said table to effect the discharge of nailstherefrom, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a raceway grooved to conductnails, said raceway having provision to assort the nails put into saidgroove with heads and points indiscriminately, so that said nails mayfollow in a continuation of said groove head iirst, a grooved table toreceive the nails head first, a pocket, a cam, means to actuate it, andmeans actuated by said cam to tip said table and eect the discharge ofthe nails therefrom, substantially as described.

10. In a nail-assorting apparatus, the followinginstrumentalities, viz:a raceway having its surface at dierent levels and provided withcontinuous grooves, and having a shoulder to leave a transverse spaceintermediate the two ends of said grooves, an adjustable nail-pointreceiver located near the said shoulder and below the said transversespace, combined with a device to receive the nails assorted on saidraceway head first, and a stop to position the said assorted nails onsaid de vice, and means to actuate said device to discharge the nailstherefrom, substantially as described. 4

11. In a nail-asserting apparatus, the following rinstrumentalities,viz: a raceway to receive and guide a series of nails, a rotating shafthaving a clutch adapted when in operative engagement therewith to eectthe reciprocations of said raceway, a device to receive a series ofnails from said raceway, a second shaft having a clutch, means inter-IIO IOV

mediate said second shaft and the device for receiving said series ofnails to effect the discharge of said series of nails frornsaid devicewhen the latter clutch is engaged, and means whereby when one of' saidclutches is in its operative position to rotate one of said shafts, theother of said clutches-will be disengaged to leave at rest theshaft withwhich it coperates, substantially as described. i

12. A raceway to conduct nails, a tipping table to receive nailsfromsaid raceway, an independent stop for the ends of the nails leaving saidraceway andcomingonto said table, combined witha Vseries of pockets, andmeans to tip the said table. and cause one edge thereof to pass belowthe level of the delivery end of said raceway in order that the nails onsaid table may slide therefrom into said pockets, substantially asdescribed.

13. A raceway to-receiyeand guide a series of nails, a device'arrangedatthe lower end thereofand provided with a double setv receiving nailsfrom said raceway which are to be utilized, a stop to position saidnails on said device in its narrower grooves, an overiiow-pan, a seriesof pockets, and means to actuate said device whereby the nails left inthe broader grooves enter the overflow-pan, the nails which lie in thenarrower grooves entering said pockets, substantially as described. t

14.. In a nail-assorting apparatus, the following instrumentalities,viz: a raceway to receive and guide a series of nails, a rotating shafthaving a clutch and adapted to effect the reciprocations of said racewaywhen said clutch is in engagement with said shaft, a device to receivethey nails from said raceway, means-to actuate said deviceand means toarrest the reciprocations of said raceway while the said device is beingactuated to discharge from it the nails thereon, substantially asdescribed.

15. A raceway adapted to receive and guide nails, means to reciprocatesaid raceway, a device to receive nails from said raceway, means toactuate said device to `deliver nails, and means to stop thereciprocation -of the raceway during the delivery of nails,substantially asdescribed.

.16.` A raceway adapted to receive and convey nails, means to cause thenails all to point thesame wayon saidraceway, a. device to transfer thenails fromsaid raceway, and means to operate said device whereby thenails may be delivered therefrom either head iirst or point first,-substantially as described.

17. A raceway composed of a grooved plate having its surface in twodifferent levels t0 thereby constitute an upper and a lower section,said raceway having a transverse groove or space to leave a shoulder,said sections having nail-conducting grooves in line, the

`said grooves being deepestat said shoulder,

combined with a nail-point receiver crossing the lower section ofsaidrac'eway above the grooves and below said shoulder, to operate,

substantially as described.

clined raceway to receive and guide" nails, means to reciprocate theracewayand cause Y 18. In a nail-asserting mechanism, an in-` the nailsto descend,.and means for intermit- V tently stopping the reciprocationof the raceway to arrest the forward movement of the nails.

l19. Inl a nail-assorting mechanism, a raceway to receive and guidenails, means to re ciprocatesaidraceway, a device 'to transfer nailsfrom said raceway, mechanism to actuate said device to transfer nails,and means controlling said-reciprocating means and said actuatingmechanism whereby one is made inoperative when the other is operative.20. In a nail-asserting mechanism, a raceway to receive and. guidenailswith their heads and points arrangedindiscriminately,

means-to cause said nails all to point the same 4 way on said raceway, adeviceto transfer the nails from said raceway, and means to actuate saidtransferring device to V-deliver' nails.

21. In a nail-assorting mechanism, a nailway, a device to transfer nailsfrom the race-y way, means to reciprocate the raceway, and means forintermittentlystopping the reciprocation of the race Way while thetransferring device operates. v

24.. In a nail-assorting mechanism,l a raceway presenting nail-guidinggrooves arranged at different levels, the upper level of the racewayreceiving nails with' their heads and points arranged indiscriminately,means between said levels to reverse some of the nails to insure thatall the nails on the zlower level ofthe raceway may have their headsyall in the same direction, means to reciprocate said raceway to causethe nailsto travel thereon, and a device under thecontrol of the oper-IOO ator to omit a stroke of the raceway leaving the raceway at rest'temporarily .when itis 'desired to stop the movement of the nails ontheraceWay. .y v

25. In a nail-asserting mechanism, a raceway presenting nail-guidinggrooves arranged at different levels, the upper level Yof the racewayreceiving nails with their heads and points arranged indiscriminately,means .be-

tween said levels to reverse some of the nails l to insure that all thenails on the lowerlevel of the raceway may have their heads all in thesame direction, means to reciprocatesaid raceway, and a device under thecontrol of the operator to omit a stroke of the raceway to leave theraceway at rest temporarily, and means for moving said device to startagain the reciprocation of said raceway.

26. In a nail-assorting mechanism, a raceway to receive nails with theirheads and points arranged indiscriminately and having provision toarrange all said nails during their travel along said raceway with theirheads in the same direction, means to reciprocate said raceway to causethe travel of nails thereon, a device located at the end of said racewayto receive and sustain a series of nails delivered from the raceway, andmeans to stop the reciprocation of said raceway While the series ofnails is discharged from said device.

27. In a nail-assorting mechanism, a race- Way having an inclinedreceiving-section to receive and guide nails With their heads and pointsarranged indiscriminately and. having a secondary section at a greaterinclination, means for causing the nails to travel on said raceway, andmeans for causing the nails delivered from the receiving-section topoint all in the same direction on the secondary section.

28. In a nail-assorting mechanism, an inclined raceway to receive andguide nails, means for causing the nails to move down said raceway,means for causing said nails all to point the same Way on said raceway,a device to transfer the nails from said race- Way, and means to actuatesaid transferring device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses. i"

BENJAMIN F. MAYO.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, MARGARET A.'DUNN.

